Combined car starter and brake



(No Model.)

0. KIESER.

COMBINED GAR STARTER AND BRAKE. No. 392,345. Patented Nov. 6, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES KIESER, on BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

COMBINED CAR STARTER AND BRAKE.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,345, dated November 6, 1888.

' Application filedFcbruary 21, 1888. Serial No. 264.785. (No model.)

a car; and the object is to enable the car-driver to apply some of the force used in stopping the car, and thereby stored up in the brake and brakespringato aid in starting either a horsecan or a car drawn by a cable, and, further, to aid the same bynsing his own strength on the brake-crank in the opposite direction to the act of applying the brake. To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a combined car starter and brake, hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of a horse-car, showing the main features of my invention in side elevation. Fig. II is a rear view of the same. Fig. III is a horizontal section of the brake-chain-winding shaft. Fig. IV is a side elevation of a portion of a car to be drawn by cable, showing the application of my invention thereto. Fi g. V is a plan view of a portion of same.

1 represents the car; 2, the car-wheels; 4, a brake; 5, the brake chain; 6, a rod connecting the brake-chain and the usual brakelever.

3 is the chain-winding shaft, and athehandcrank whereby the car-driver applies the brake by revolving'the crank in one direction, and

. whereby he aids in starting the car by revolving the crank in the other direction, assisted by the following-described mechanism:

axle of the car, on which axle the wheels are also rigidly fixed to revolve therewith. This ratchet-wheel is parted across the center to permit its being placed upon the axle, and it is secured thereon by common screw-clamps.

8 is a pawl or hook, made stirrup-shaped, in order that its middle portion may engage and hook into the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, while its arms are hung by pivots at the ends of the forked arm 9 of a bell-crank lever at the sides of the ratchet-wheel. The bell-crank lever is journaled at 10 in bearings permanently fixed to the car, and it is provided with another arm, 11, which is connected with the winding-shaft 3 by a chain, 12; and rod 13 is the pawl-lifter. It is journaled to the car at 15, and has one arm, 18, adapted to engage a stud, 19, which projects from the side of the pawl 8, and another arm, 14, connected with a treadle, 17, by a rod, 16. \Vhen the treadle is pressed down, the arm 18 is raised backward beneath the pin 19 and disengages the pawl from the ratchet-teeth. When the treadle is free, the lifter 18 falls back, leaving the pawl free to fall into engagement with the ratchetwheel, as shown in Fig. I, the treadle being raised by the weight of the arm 18; or I may use a spring for this purpose.

The brake-chain 5 winds upon the shaft 3 in the opposite direction to the starter-chain 12. The act of applying the brake unwinds the starter-chain and the act of working the starter unwinds the brake chain, and each chain has a surplus wound upon the shaft 3, so that when its opponent is at full duty there remains of this one a little to be unwound. That is to prevent both chains getting wound onto the shaft the same way.

The operation is as follows: To stop the car, the driver applies the brake by revolving the crank 4 to the right, as usual, and leaves the brake rigidly set on until ready to start again. Then he suddenly releases the brake-shaft 3, allowing the crank to fly around freely. The force used to apply the brake places all the connections, including the springs 25, under such tension that when the shaft is thus set free it not only unwinds the brake-chain 5, but it passes the neutral point and applies a considerable force to the starter by winding up the chain 12. The instant the crank 4 stops, the driver seizes it and applies his strength in the direction it was going, thus continuing the motion of the starter-pawl S to aid the wheel forward until the limit of motion of the arm 9 is reached. Then if the horses require further help the driver revolves the crank back ward to re-engage thepawl with the ratchet-wheel, and when so engaged he again applies his strength to the crank to aid the horses with the enormous leverage gained through the long crank 4-, the small windingshaft 3, the long power-arm 11, and the short weight-arm 9 and the large diameter of the ratchet-wheel 7. The lil'ter 18 is only applied when it is desirable to hold the pawl out of engagement, to prevent its rattling when going downhill, or to permit the car to be backed in any case of emergency. To hold the pawl disengaged, it is only necessary to press down the treadle 17 and catch it sidewisein anotch, 20. The brake may be applied while the treadle is so fixed; but when the starter is needed the treadle is to be kicked loose from the catch 20, thus permitting the starter-pawl to do its work.

It will readily be seen that the bell-crank levers 9 11 and lit 18 are only made bell-cranks to transmit motion advantageously from the winding-shaft 3 to the pawl S in one instance and from the treadle 17 to the lifter 18 in the other instance. Other equivalent mechanism might be substituted for these intermediate parts.

Vhile going uphill, it hasbcen common for the car-driver to apply the brake to prevent the car from backing down the hill while the horses stop to rest. This is objectionable, because it will not do to free the brake until the horse begins to pull, and then the horse, feeling the car set, will stop or become balky. My pawl when at liberty always hangs ready to stop the car from backing, and the horse may safely stop on any hill without attention from the driver. Then when the car is to be started it is not only free to start forward, but the driver may apply his strength to help the horse start it.

To adapt my invention to be operated by a hand-lever having a small are of movement instead of the above-described crank, which makes a'eomplete revolution or more, such hand-levers being now in general use upon cable-railway cars to apply the brakes, I connect the handicvcr 26, Fig. 5, with the brake in any simple manner-such as by the intermediate lever, 28, and brakc-chain 5and to the lever 26 I attach my starter-chain 12. 3y this means it will be seen that motion of the hand-lever 26 in one direction applies the brake and lets back the starter-pawl 8 ready to engage the ratchet-wheel 7, and that motion of the same lever, 26, in the other direction releases the brakes and works the starter .in the same manner as it is worked by the hand crank .1, hereinbefore described.

27 is a spring attached to the lever 20 and proiecting to one side of the lever to bring the treadle 117 into its path. The hand-lever is shown in the position of applying the brake. Now, if the hand-lever be swung to the right, the pawl engages the ratchet to help start the ear, and when the lever nears the end of its path the spring 27 engages the treadle 1 7 and presses gradually thereon in the direction to disengage the pawl; but the spring has not force enough to disengage the pawl when the latter is pressed firmly against a tooth of the ratchet; yet when the pawl is released, either by the lever starting to return for another pull or by the advance of the wheel, the spring will press the treadle down and lift the pawl and hold it disengaged until the hand-lever is again used to prevent the pawl rattling on the ratchet-wheel. This spring might as well be attached to the treadle and extend into the path of the hand-lever, thus producing the same effect, and in either case I term it a free spring connection between the lever and t-readle.

It is to be understood that in the action of the hand-lever a certain are of its motion may be devoted to the application of the brake and another are to the application of the starter; otherwise the act of returning the lever to get a new lift in starting might apply the brake. This may be readily accomplished by allowing sui'ficient slack in each of the chains 5 and 12 to permit the other to work. Should the cardriver not be inclined to aid the horse in starting the car, he may be forced to do so by increasing the length of action and the strength of the brake-spring 25, so that the act of applying the brake will store up force enough to start the car forward agai n as soon as the brake is released.

This invention may be of great service in overcoming the shock consequent to starting cars on cable railways. In this case the cardriver would first let go the brake-lever, which would start the ear to going a little, and then he would begin applying the grappling-clutch to the cable by means of the usual lever, and the car, already started, would quickly and without shock acquire the speed of the cable. This starter also enables the driver to propel the car around a street-corner when disconnected from one cable to connect it with another line of cable.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following:

1. The combination, in a car-starter, of a winding-shaft, 3, a chain, 5, attached thereto, to be wound one way thereon and connected with the ear-brake, another chain, 12, attached to the said windingshaft, to be wound the other way thereon by the act of unwinding the brake-chain, a ratchet-wheel, 7, secured on an axle of the ear-wheel, and a pawl connected with the chain 12 and adapted to engage the said ratchet-wheel, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the brake-shaft 3, the

chain 12, adaptedto be wound thereon, the bell-crank lever 9 11, journaled to the car at 10 and connected by one arm with the chainv 12, and the pawl 8, hung upon the other arm 5 of said bell-crank lever, and the ratchet-wheel 7, secured upon a wheel-axle and adapted to be engaged by the pawl S, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of the ratchetwheel 7, [O the pawl8, hung to engage it, and provided with a laterally-projecting stud, 19, and mechanism for operating the pawl, substantially as described, and the pawl-lifter 13, hung to the car, the treadle 17, pivoted upon the drivers I 5 platform of the car, and means connecting the said treadle and lifter, substantially as shown and described.

4. The pawl 8, provided with the stud 19, in combination with the lifter 13, adapted to engage the said stud, and means, substantially as described, for hanging and operating the said pawland lifter.

5. The combination of the winding-shaft 3, the brake-chain 5, attached to be wound one 2 5 way thereon, and the starter-chain 12, attached to bewound the other way thereon, each chain havingasurplus portion of itselfstill unwound upon the shaft when the other chain is at full duty, substantially as shown and described. 6. The combination, with a car mounted on wheels and provided with brakes, of a handlever pivoted to the car, a ratchet-wheel secured upon an axle of the car-wheels, a pawl hung to engage the said ratchet-wheel, and 5 connections between the said hand-lever and the car-brakes on the one hand and between the said hand-lever and the said pawl on the other hand, substantially as shown and described, whereby movement of the hand-lever in one direction will apply the brakes, and whereby movement of the hand-lever in the other direction will release the brakes and will also operate the pawl and ratchet to start the car, as set forth.

7. The combination, with a car mounted on wheels and provided with brakes, of springs pressing the brakes away from the wheel, a ratchet secured to a wheel-axle, a pawl hung to engage the ratchet, a hand-lever pivoted to the car, and connections between the said handlever and pawl on one hand and between the said hand-lever and brake and springs on the other hand, substantially as shown and described, whereby, first, the said springs are strained and force stored up therein in the act 5 5 of applying the brakes, and, second, whereby the force so stored up is communicated to the car-wheels to propel them by the act of releasing the brakes, as set forth.

8. The combination of the ratchet-wheel 7, secured upon the axle of a car, the pawl 8, hung to the car to engage the ratchet, a handlever pivoted to the car, connections between ,the hand lever and the pawl, a treadle pivoted to the car near the hand-lever, and means con- 6 necting the treadle with the pawl, whereby a movement of the treadle disengages the pawl from the ratchetwheel, and a free springconnection between the said hand-lever and treadle, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. CHARLES KIESER. Witnesses:

J NO. T. MADDQX, .ToHN SANDERSON. 

